The present invention provides continuous, free-standing metal oxide films and methods for making said films. The methods are able to produce large-area, flexible, thin films having one or more continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domains. The methods include the steps of forming a surfactant monolayer at the surface of an aqueous solution, wherein the headgroups of the surfactant molecules provide a metal oxide film growth template. When metal ions in the aqueous solution are exposed to the metal oxide film growth template in the presence of hydroxide ions under suitable conditions, a continuous, free-standing metal oxide film can be grown from the film growth template downward into the aqueous solution.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A continuous, free-standing metal oxide film having as thickness of no greater than 10 μm and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2 .
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less. The film includes at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide region (domain) with a surface area of at least 0.1 μm².
2. The metal oxide film of claim 1 , wherein the at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain has an area of at least 1 μm 2 .
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less. The film includes at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide region (domain) with a surface area of at least 1 μm².
3. The metal oxide film of claim 1 , wherein the at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain has an area of at least 100 μm 2 .
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less. The film includes at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide region (domain) with a surface area of at least 100 μm².
4. The metal oxide film of claim 1 having a surface area of at least 1 cm 2 .
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2 , with a total surface area of at least 1 cm².
5. The metal oxide film of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide is zinc oxide.
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2 , where the metal oxide is zinc oxide.
6. The metal oxide film of claim 5 having a thickness no greater than about 100 μm.
A free-standing and continuous zinc oxide film that contains at least one single-crystalline zinc oxide domain, has a thickness of 100 μm or less.
7. The metal oxide film of claim 5 , wherein the zinc oxide comprises the wurtzite phase of zinc oxide.
A free-standing and continuous zinc oxide film that contains at least one single-crystalline zinc oxide domain, where the zinc oxide has a wurtzite crystal structure.
8. The metal oxide film of claim 5 , wherein the zinc oxide comprises a Zn 0.75 O x structure.
A free-standing and continuous zinc oxide film that contains at least one single-crystalline zinc oxide domain, where the zinc oxide has a Zn 0.75 O x chemical composition.
9. The metal oxide film of claim 1 , further comprising a surfactant associated with the surface of the metal oxide.
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2 , with a surfactant material attached to the metal oxide surface.
10. The metal oxide film of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide is at least one of a magnesium oxide, a copper oxide, a titanium oxide, a tin oxide or a barium titanium oxide.
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2 , where the metal oxide is magnesium oxide, copper oxide, titanium oxide, tin oxide, or barium titanium oxide.
11. A continuous, free-standing zinc oxide film, wherein the zinc oxide has Zn 0.75 O x structure.
A free-standing, continuous film made of zinc oxide (ZnO) where the zinc oxide has a Zn 0.75 O x chemical composition (non-stoichiometric).
12. The zinc oxide film of claim 11 , comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline Zn 0.75 O x domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2 .
A free-standing, continuous film made of zinc oxide (ZnO) where the zinc oxide has a Zn 0.75 O x chemical composition (non-stoichiometric) and includes at least one continuous, single-crystalline Zn 0.75 O x region (domain) with a surface area of at least 0.1 μm².
13. The zinc oxide film of claim 11 , comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline Zn 0.75 O x domain having an area of at least 1 μm 2 .
A free-standing, continuous film made of zinc oxide (ZnO) where the zinc oxide has a Zn 0.75 O x chemical composition (non-stoichiometric) and includes at least one continuous, single-crystalline Zn 0.75 O x region (domain) with a surface area of at least 1 μm².
14. The zinc oxide film of claim 11 having a thickness of no greater than about 1000 nm.
A free-standing, continuous film made of zinc oxide (ZnO) where the zinc oxide has a Zn 0.75 O x chemical composition (non-stoichiometric) has a thickness of 1000 nm (1 μm) or less.
15. A transistor incorporating the metal oxide film of claim 1 as an active Layer.
A transistor uses a free-standing and continuous metal oxide film, having a thickness of 10 μm or less and includes at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide region (domain) with a surface area of at least 0.1 μm², as the active layer (channel) material.
16. The metal oxide film of claim 5 having a thickness no greater than about 20 nm.
A free-standing and continuous zinc oxide film that contains at least one single-crystalline zinc oxide domain, has a thickness of 20 nm or less.
17. The metal oxide film of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide film is adhered to an adhesive substrate comprising an adhesive layer on a flexible polymeric layer, wherein the adhesive substrate does not provide the metal film with its self-supporting structural integrity.
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2 , is attached to an adhesive substrate, which itself consists of an adhesive layer on a flexible plastic layer. The substrate does not provide the metal oxide film with its mechanical stability.
18. The metal oxide film of claim 7 , wherein the single-crystalline metal oxide domain is characterized by a hexagonal lateral perimeter.
A free-standing and continuous zinc oxide film that contains at least one single-crystalline zinc oxide domain with a wurtzite crystal structure, where the single-crystalline region has a hexagonal shape when viewed from above (lateral perimeter).
19. The metal oxide film of claim 8 , wherein the single-crystalline metal oxide domain is characterized by a rectangular lateral perimeter.
A free-standing and continuous zinc oxide film that contains at least one single-crystalline zinc oxide domain with a Zn 0.75 O x chemical composition, where the single-crystalline region has a rectangular shape when viewed from above (lateral perimeter).
20. The metal oxide film of claim 1 , wherein the single-crystalline metal oxide domain has a thickness of no greater than 1 μm, a length dimension of greater than 10 μm and a width dimension of greater than 10 μm.
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2, where the single-crystalline region has a thickness of 1 μm or less, a length of more than 10 μm, and a width of more than 10 μm.
21. The metal oxide film of claim 20 , wherein the single-crystalline metal oxide domain has a thickness of no greater than 100 nm and a length dimension or width dimension of at least 50 μm.
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2, where the single-crystalline region has a thickness of 100 nm or less, and a length or width of at least 50 μm.
22. The metal oxide film of claim 20 , wherein the single-crystalline metal oxide domain has an area of at least 1000 μm 2 .
A free-standing and continuous metal oxide film has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and comprising at least one continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domain having an area of at least 0.1 μm 2, where the single-crystalline region has an area of at least 1000 μm².
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March 12, 2010
August 6, 2013
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